Shoe-lace holder



(No Model.)

G. E.MO NGEAU SHOE LACE HOLDER.

Patented Oct. 30, 1894.

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UNITED STATES PATE T OFFICE.

GEORGE E. MONGEAU, OF LowELL, MASSACHUSETTS SHOE-LACE HOLDER.

$PEGIEIOATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 528,300, dated October30, 1894.

Serial No. 519,870. (No model.)

To all? whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. MONGEAU, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inShoe-Lace Holders, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, makingpart of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective viewofmy shoelace holder. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is afront elevation of the same. Fig. 4 isa modificationto be referred to.

My invention has for its object to provide for boot and shoe dealers aneat, simple, and eflective device for holding and displaying a bunch orquantity of shoe-laces in such manner that they can be convenientlywithdrawn singly or several at atime without disarrangmg the remainderof the bunch.

To this end myinvention consists in abase or body adapted to be securedto a wall or other convenient surface, and having an outwardlyprojecting bow-shaped portion or loop adapted to receive and support thedouble shoe-laces, combined with a spring-actuated arm or lever adaptedto extend up behind the shoe-laces when introduced within said bow andserving to press the laces forward, whereby they are confined betweensaid bow and lever with a yielding pressure as hereinafter set forth.

In the said drawings, A represents the base or body of the holder, whichis adapted to be secured in a vertical position to a wall or otherconvenient surface in a store or apartment by means of screws (1 asshown in Fig 1. The base A is provided at its center with an outwardlyprojecting how-shaped portion or loop B for holding the bunch ofshoe-laces b and by which they are supported at their centers or doubledportions with their ends hanging down, as shown in Fig. 1. The portion Bis provided at its upper end with a latch-piece or lover a pivoted at 5to a lug 6 and normally held by a spring 10 against the end 12 of saidportion B to close the entrance to the same, the operation ofintroducing the doubled shoelaces within the loop or bow B being thusgreatly facilitated, as the latch 0 will readily yield to permit theentrance of the laces and will instantly close to prevent their escape.

C is an inwardly curved armor lever which extends up behind theshoe-laces as shown in Fig. 1,'and is pivoted at 15 to a lug clprojecting from the base A beneath the bow B, said lever being providedwith a slot 6 to enable it to pass over the bow B which extends throughsaid slot as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Between the base A and the underside of the lever O is placed aspiral springf which serves to press thelever G outward, said spring being held in place at its opposite ends bycircular bosses or projections g, h, on the lever and base as shown inFig. 2.

When a bunch of shoe-laces is to be-placed within the holder, the lever0 is pressed backward by the hand against the stress of the spring 1over the bow B and beyond the lower end ofits spring-actuated latch-cand held back in this position by the hand until the shoe-laces havebeen passed in front of said lever down within the bow B by pressingtheir doubled portions against the yielding latch c which thenimmediately closes, after which thelever O is released, when it will bepressed forward by the spring f thus causing the bunch of shoe-laces tobe held securely in place between the bow B andlever C as shown in Fig.1 with a yielding pressure and enabling them to be convenientlyWithdrawn singly or several at a time withoutdisturbing or disarrangingthose remaining in the holder. Ido not confine myself to the employmentof a spiral springf as shown,as a spring of any other suitabledescription may be used to actuate the arm or lever O. The arm or leverO is provided with rounded edges and is preferably curved as shown toenable it to better fit around the rear of the bunch of shoe-laceswithout cutting or injuring the same, and by means of the spring f thelever O is rendered self-adjusting so that it will follow up the bunchof shoe-laces as it becomes reduced in size and hold it securely untilthe last one is drawn out.

Instead of providing the bow-shaped holder B with a spring-actuatedlatch c as above described, it may be constructed in a single unbrokenpiece without a latch as shownin Fig. 4, in which case the ends of theshoe-laces will be passed sidewise through the bow B in 3. In ashoe-lace holder, the base or body A 30 front of the lever when thelatter is pressed having an outwardly projecting portion B backward bythe hand. I prefer however to adapted to receive and support a bunch ofemploy a spring-actuated latch-piece as first shoe-laces, in combinationwith the spring 5 described as the operation of introducing the actuatedarm or lever O pivoted to the base shoe-laces within the holder isthereby greatly beneath the bow B, and provided with a slot 35facilitated. e, wherebyit is adapted to pass over said bow WhatI claimas myinvention,and desire to and exert an outward pressure against thesecure by Letters Patent, isbunch of shoe-laces within the saute,substan- 1. A shoe-lace holder comprising a base or tially as set forth.

body having an outwardly projecting bow- 4:. In a shoelace holder, thecombination of 4,0 shaped portion adapted to receive and supthe base orbody Ahaving an outwardly proport abunch of shoe-laces and aspring-actujecting bow-shaped portion 13, the curvedated clamping arm orlever extending up lever C pivoted to the base beneath the bow B [5behind the bow and pressed outwardly toand adapted to extend up behindthe bunch Ward the front of the bow to hold said bunch of shoe-laceswithin said bow B, said lever 4 5 against the front portion of the bowwith a being provided with a slot e whereby it is yielding pressure,substantially as described. adapted to pass over and embrace the bow B,2. In ashoe-lace holder, the base or body A and the spring f adapted toexertan outward having an outwardly projecting portion B pressure on thelever C to hold the shoe-laces adapted to receive and support a bunch ofagainst the bow B with a yielding pressure, 50 shoe-laces, said portion13 being provided with substantially as set forth.

a spring-actuated latch-piece c, in combinal/Vitness my hand this 3d dayof August, tion with a spring-actuated clamping arm or A. D. 1894:.lever 0 extending upwardly across the bow GEO. MONGEAU and pressedforwardly by its spring to hold said bunch against the front of theportion B In presence ofwith ayielding pressure, substantially as set P.E. TESCHEMACHER, forth. R. HENRY MARSH.

